1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to completion tools or casing valves used in well bores, to positioning tools for positioning a sliding member in the completion tool, and to jetting tools for washing a casing bore by spraying fluid through a port in the completion tool. More particularly, the invention relates to a completion tool system with a hydraulically actuated positioning tool and with a jetting tool at the lower end thereof which can be opened and closed hydraulically.
2. Brief Description Of The Prior Art
It is known that sliding sleeve type casing valves or completion tools can be placed in the casing of a well to provide selective communication between the casing bore and subsurface formation adjacent to the casing valve. One such casing valve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,654 to Brandell et al., assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The casing valve includes an outer housing with a sliding sleeve. First and second seals define a sealed annulus within the housing. A latch is disposed in the seal annulus for latching the sliding valve in its first and second positions. The housing has a plurality of housing ports defined therein, and the sliding sleeve has a plurality of sleeve ports defined therein. A third seal disposed between the sleeve and housing isolates all of the housing ports from all of the sleeve ports when the sleeve is in its first position relative to the housing. When the sleeve is moved to its second position relative to the housing, it is aligned so that the sleeve ports are in registry with the housing ports. This alignment is achieved by a lug and groove which are also disposed in the sealed annulus of the casing valve.
The sleeve in the casing valve of Brandell et al. is positioned by the positioning tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,561 to Szarka, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The positioning tool includes a drag assembly having a longitudinal passageway defined therethrough. An inner mandrel is disposed through the longitudinal passageway of the drag assembly and is longitudinally movable relative to the drag assembly.
Once the sliding sleeve in the casing valve is moved to its second position, fluid may be jetted through the jetting tool of Szarka et al. disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,644, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The jetting tool is connected at a rotatable connection to the positioning tool. The jetting tool is thus rotatable relative to the positioning tool and the casing valve. The jetting tool hydraulically jets the casing valve as the jetting tool is rotated relative thereto.
In some instances, it is possible that the above-described prior art positioning tool can hang up in the casing string by inadvertently engaging recesses which exist in the casing string. Further, some auxiliary tools, such as retrievable bridge plugs have portions thereof, such as drag blocks, which may fall into the long gap of the sliding sleeve in prior art casing valves and hang up therein. Any of these hang-ups can cause damage to the positioning tool, casing valve and/or auxiliary tools.
The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,917 to Szarka, assigned to the assignee of the present invention provides a sliding sleeve in the casing valve with a selective latch profile. A positioning tool used with this valve has a positioner block with a corresponding latch profile so that the positioner block will latch only in the profile in the casing valve and not engage anything else in the casing string.
The apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,917 works well, but is generally designed for use on a relatively rigid tool string where manipulation of the tool string is necessary to operate the positioning tool and thereby open and close the casing valve. Such a tool string will generally necessitate having a rig over the hole during the operation of the prior art apparatus. With the present invention, which is designed for operation with a coiled tubing unit, there is a great time savings generated over the prior art devices. Also, by using a coiled tubing unit, it may not be necessary to have a rig over the hole, and this results in a savings in expense to the well owner.
There may also be occasions when manipulation of the tool string is undesirable or difficult, such as in a deviated well. In such cases, it is often desirable to run tools into the well bore on a tubing string which is relatively more flexible than that of the prior art and which does not necessarily lend itself to precise positioning by reciprocal manipulation thereof in the well bore. The present invention solves this possible problem by providing a completion tool with a hydraulic cylinder section to actuate the positioning tool. The cylinder section may be operated by pressurizing and depressurizing the tubing string.